Archives of the
Global Climate Change DigestA Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone DepletionPublished July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 12, NUMBER 4, APRIL 1999

NEWS...Methane-Eating Bacterium

The
Mar. 20, 1999, issue of New Scientist, Oliver Klaffke reports that
American, German, and Russian researchers have discovered a bacterium in
acidic wetlands that digests methane. Because almost half the worlds
methane emissions come from wetlands in the Northern Hemisphere and
because most of the bacteria that produce methane live in acidic wetlands
in the northern hemisphere, this new bacteriums role in controlling
those emissions is considered important. It was discovered when the
researchers sought to find out why some wetlands in Europe were producing
only half as much methane as others. These environments were previously
thought to be unsuitable for methanodigesting bacteria. This bacterium,
though, thrives in acidic conditions. However, its effects have been
diminishing since the beginning of the industrial revolution because it is
very sensitive to nitrate and sulphate pollution.